Box-fastener.



I Patented Oct. I, 190i.

J.'W. BOOTH & ROBERT REIOHARD.

BIOI'IARO REIOHARO, Executor of ROBERT BEIOHABD, Decd. sox' FASTENEB.

(Application and Apr. 25, 1901.

(No Modal.)

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JOHN W. BOOTH AND ROBERT REIOHARD, OF WASHINGTON, MISSOURI; RICHARD REICHARD EXECUTOR OF SAID ROBERT REICHARD, DE?

CEASED.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,889, dated October 1, 1901. Application filed April 25, 1901. serial No. 57,378. on model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, JOHN V. BOOTH and ROBERT REICHARD, citizens of the United States, residing at l/Vashington, county of Franklin, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Box- Fasteuings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a detail view ofa box to which our improved fasteningis applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the upper portion of theleft-hand end of the box shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similaixview through the right-hand end of the box. Fig. 4 is a detail View on line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the latch-plate. Fig. 6 is adetail view of the centering and retaining plate, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the keeper-plates.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in box-fastenings, the object being to construct a simple, cheap, and effective fastening for use in connection with packing-boxes, such as egg-crates, (be.

With this object in View the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates the box, having cleats a at its ends, said cleats being located a short distance below the upper edge of the box.

B indicates the cover of the box, having cleats b at each end, which embrace the end walls of the box and when the cover is in position are located over the cleats a. Each of the cleats b is recessed at about its center, as indicated at b, and over this recess and against the inner face of the cleatis arranged a keeper-plate 0. (See Fig. 7.) This keeperplate is preferably stamped or punched from sheet metal and may have entering-points c, which assist in holding it in position, said entering-points being received by the cleat b at each side of the recess. This keeper-plate may also be perforated for the passage of securing nails or screws, these perforations being indicated at c. The upper edge of the cover-plate is recessed at 0, while apertures c are provided in the body portion,,which apertures and recesses c register with the recess 1) in theinner face of the cleatb. Both cleats b are recessed and provided with keeper-plates, as above described, so that when the cover is applied to the box either keeper-plate will cooperate properly with the fastening devices on the box.

D indicates a centering and retaining plate, which is secured to the end wall of the box in any suitable manner, the upper end of said plate near the upper edge of the box being bent outwardly, as at d, the side edges 7 of this bent portion being beveled, as shown in Fig. 6. In applying the cover in-position on the box this projection cl is designed to be received by the recess 0" of the keeperplate, holding one end of the cover in position. The beveled sides of this bent portion cl serve to center the cover with respect to the box.

The cleat a at the end of the box opposite that to which the centering-plate D is secured is recessed, as at a, for the reception of a spring-pressed latch-plate E. This latchplate is preferably stamped from sheet metal and appropriately formed, it consisting of a body portion the upper end of which is bent outwardly, while two side flanges are formed to provide engaging shoulders e and flanges 6, through which the pintle or pivot rod 6" passes. The lower portion of this latch-plate is curved outwardly, as at e, being received in an appropriate recess on the under side of the cleat a. The object of this bent portion is to enable the operator to lift the box by placing his fingers under the cleats a, the latch-plate being curved outwardly, so as not to interfere with the operators fingers in handling the box. A torsional springF encircles the pin tle-rod e, one end bearing against the lower portion of the latch plate and the other against the end wall of the box, so that the upper end of the latch plate is normally pressed inwardly against the end wall of the box. Staples or other fastening devices f 100 are employed to hold the pintle-rod in position. (See Fig. 4..)

In placing the cover on the box the projection (Z is first engaged and the free end of the cover then pressed downwardly, the lower edge of the keeper-plate thereof engaging the inclined faces of the flanges of the latch-plate, forcing the same outwardly until the hook portions of the latch-plate register with the openings 0 and the shoulders e engage with the lower walls of said recesses. Of course the latch-plate is received in the recess 1) behind the keeper-plate O. The cover is now firmly held in position, and if it is desired to remove the cover at any time the latch'plate is operated so that its hook portions release the keeper-plate, permitting one end of the cover to be raised until the cleat b is above the upper edge of the box, when said cover can then he slid longitudinally to disengage the keeper-plate at the opposite end from en gagement with the centering and retaining plate D.

We are aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of our device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described with out in the least departing from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

1. The combination with a box, of a cover, like keeper-plates arranged on each end of the cover, a centering and retaining plate arranged on the box at one end for cooperating with one of said keeper-plates, and a springpressed latch-plate at the opposite end of the box provided with a beveled face and a shoulder for cooperating with the other of said keeper-plates; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a box, of a cover provided with recessed cleats at its ends, like keeper-plates arranged over the recesses in said cleats, a centering and retaining plate arranged at one end of the box for cooperating with one of said keeper-plates, and a spring-pressed latchplate mounted at the other end of said box provided with a beveled face and a shoulder for cooperating with the other of said keeper-plates, said latch-plate being received by the recess in the cleat on the cover; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a boxhaving cleats at its ends, of a plate D located at one end of the box and having a beveled projection d, a spring pressed latch plate E pivotally mounted at the opposite end of the box and projecting above the box cleat, acover having recessed cleats at its ends, and like keeperplates arranged over said recesses for cooperating with the projection d and the latchplate; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a cover having a recessed cleat at one end, of a keeper-plate arranged over said recess, apertures c in said keeper-plate, and a latch-plate E having side flanges provided with shoulders for engaging the keeper-plate, a pivotal rod passin g through the flanges below said shoulders, a spring cooperating with said latch-plate for holding it in an operative position and means for securing the opposite end of the cover in position; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of April, 1901.

JOHN W. BOOTH. ROBERT REICHARD.

Witnesses:

J. L. CALVIN, A. J. DETWEILER. 

